Lubricator



Jan. 9, A A MERK LUBRICATOR Filed July 27. 1929 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES PArENt OFFICE LUBBICATOR Application July 27, 1929. Serial No. 381,460

9 Claims.

This invention relates, broadly, to lubricators, and more particularly to lubricators adapted for applying lubricant to rails of railroad track to prevent cars passing over the track from becoming derailed at curves. t relates still more particularly to lubricators adapted to deliver lubricant through the action of a movable applicator having an intake portion within a body of lubricant.

The invention is in some respects similar to that disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 358,265, led April 26, 1929, wherein is disclosed a lubricator having an applicator bodily movable within a body of lubricant to eiect a delivery of the lubricant through its inertia. The

ing application, Serial No. 329,098, led December Among the objects of the invention is to provde a lubricator of the type mentioned adapted to efficiently deliver lubricant to a rail through the agency of an extremely simple and fool-proof construction not likely to lose adjustment or become out of order and so constructed as not to waste any appreciable quantity of the lubricant.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention,

wherein Figure 1 is a plan View of a lubricator, and

Figure2 is a cross section taken on the line II-'II of Figure l.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

reference numeral 2 designates generally a rail having a web 3, a flange A, and a head 5. Connected4 with the rail 2 by means of bolts 6 is a lubricant reservoir designated generally by reference numeral 7. The reservoir 7 has a front wall 8, the top of which lies under and in contact with the lower surface of the rail head 5, the wall being bent inwardly at 9 to lie upon the top of the rail flange and then downwardly at 10 to provide for the reception of the bolts 6. Each bolt is provided with a washer l1 and passes through the Wall portion 10 of the reservoir 7, the washer providing for maintaining a liquid-tight connection between the bolt head and the wall. The bolts pass beneath the ange 4 of the rail and cooperate with a lug 12 provided with a washer 13, a nut 14 being provided for maintaining the parts in place. By reason of the contact of the reservoir with the head and ange of the rail, it is maintained firmly in place with respect thereto so that there is practically no danger of its losing adjustment.

The reservoir 7 has side walls 15 provided at opposite portions with slots 16 serving as bearings for trunnions 17 formed integrally with a pivot member 18. The trunnions 17 are only slightly smaller in diameter than the width of the slots 16, so that they will lie in the bottoms of such slots. The extremities of the trunnions are threaded and are provided with nuts 19, whereby to maintain the pivot member 18 in a fixed adjusted position. The trunnions are eccentric with respect to the pivot member 18, so that the pivct member may be adjusted by loosening the nuts 19, rotating the pivot member 18 about the trunnions 17 and again tightening the nuts 19. The advantages of this adjustment will become apparent as the description proceeds.

A lubricator applicator designated generally by reference numeral 20 is provided which has a sleeve 21 embracing the pivot lmember 18, but rotatable thereon. The applicator 20 is hollow and has a discharge arm 22 and an intake arm 23. The discharge arm 22 extends adjacent the head 5 of the rail and has a discharge opening 24 in its extremity adapted to discharge lubricant on the side of the rail head. The discharge arm 22 is provided vwith a portion 25 adapted to be depressed by the flanges of wheels passing over the rail. Such depression causes pivotal movement of the applicator 20 about the pivot 18, whereby to deliver lubricant to the rail head Vin a manner to be presently described.

The intake arm 23 of the applicator 20 is provided with an intake chamber 26 having an intake opening 27. Between the chamber 26 and the arm 23 is a Valve seat 28 provided with a 95 Valve 29. The valve 29 rests upon the seat 28 and is given a slight seating tendency by a coll spring 38 bearing at its upper extremity against a cross arm 3l. The coil spring 30 surrounds thevalve stem 32, which stem passes through the 100 cross arm 31, thereby positively centering the valve on its seat. j

Cooperatingpwith the intake opening 27 is a pocket 33 provided in the reservoir 7vby stub walls 34. The pocket 33 is open in the direction 105 of the intake chamber 26, and the cross-sectional area of the pocket is only slightly greater than that of the intake opening. The reservoir is provided With a plug 35 cooperating with the pocket 33. The applicator 20 is provided with a lug 36 110 and the reservoir '1 is provided internally with a lug 37. Effective between the lugs 36 and 37 is a coil spring 38. The lugs are so disposed with respect to the axis of the sleeve 21 that the spring 38 acts through the axis of the sleeve as an oncenter spring to yieldingly hold the applicator in the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, wherein the discharge arm 22 is in its raised position and the portion 25 is ready to be depressed by a wheel ange.

By means of the eccentric mounting of the pivot 18, it can be adjusted, as above described, to vary the operative relationship between the discharge opening 24 and the head 5 of the rail. The pivot 18 may also be adjusted vertically Vin the slots 16, thereby giving to the device a great flexibility of adjustment. By reason of the fact that the wall portion 8 of the reservoir lies beneath the rail head 5, the surplus lubricant not taken up by the wheel flanges will gravitate back .into the reservoir, thereby eliminating wastage of lubricant.

The operation of the lubricator is as follows: Normally, the parts are maintained in the position shown in full lines in Figure 2 by the action of the on-center spring-38. Upon the passage of a car over the track, each wheel flange thereof, on coming in contact with the portion 25 of the applicator, depresses such portion, thereby rotating the applicator in a counter-clock- ,wise direction with respect to the axis of the pivot 18, or substantially into the position shown Vin. dot and dash lines in Figure 2. The portion I25 is gradually rounded or sloped downwardly at its extremities, as shown in Figure l, whereby to reduce the shock imparted by the action of the wheel flanges. In spite of this, however, the movement of the applicator is very quick and sudden. Such movement causes the intake chamber 26 to move toward and, inpart, into the pocket 33, thereby creating a sufficient pressure within the-intake chamber, due to the inertiaof the lubricant, to raise the valve 29 from its seat, al-

lowing lubricant to flow. upwardly past the valve.

Only a small amount of lubricant passes the valve during each movement of the applicator, but, due to the suddenness of the motion imparted to it by the wheel anges and due to the inertia of the lubricant which is at rest within the reservoir, a suilicient pressure will be created to raise lubricant within the intake arm 23 of the applicator and thence to the discharge arm 22. After the applicator has become lled with lubricant, a quantity of lubricant will be discharged 'through the discharge opening 24 each time a wheel flange passes over the portion 25.

As each wheel flange leaves the portion 25, the spring 38 is effective for returning the applicator to the position shown in solid lines in Figure 2. The spring 38 being an on-center spring, the inertia of the applicator may carry the discharge arm 22 somewhat past its normal position before the spring again acts to return it thereto. This, however, is beneficial rather than detrimental, as it assists slightly in spreading the lubricant over the gauge side of the rail head.

The intake arm 23 of the applicator is longer than the discharge arrn 22. Therefore, for a given angular displacement ofthe applicator, thelineal movement of the intake arm will be greater than that of the discharge arm. This is desirable because the lineal movement of the discharge arm may be limited and the device still be fully eiiective, whereas .the greater the displacement of the intake chamber 26 for each motion of the applicator, the more pronounced and the more eiiicient will be its capacity for taking lubricant and causing it to pass the valve 29. Thus, the applicator will be effective even though the depression of the discharge arm is slight.

The coil spring for the valve 29 is provided in order to insure seating of the valve, although such a spring will not ordinarily be necessary 'as' the head of lubricant above the valve will be sufficient to seat it. The spring assists in more quickly seating the valve after the lubricant has owed upwardly past it, whereby to prevent backflow.Y

The device is rugged and of simple construction and not likely to become out of order. It is highly efficient and will function properly under any operating conditions which are normally met.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to 'be distinctly understood that the same is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claimtl 1. A lubricator, comprising a lubricant reservoir, a lubricant applicator pivoted for rotation v about an axis generally parallel to a rail to be lubricated and vhaving a discharge portion in proximity to the rail, the applicator having an intake portion movable in relation to the lubricant reservoir to receive lubricant therefrom, and

means adapted to be operated to cause pivotal movement of the applicator to discharge lubricant to the rail.

2. A lubricator, comprising a lubricant applicator pivoted adjacent a rail and having a discharge portion in proximity to the rail, resilient means normally acting along a line extending substantially through the axis of the applicator pivot to maintain the applicator yieldingly in its normal position with respect to the rail, and r1.15 means adapted to be operated to cause rotation of the applicator against the action of such resilient means to deliver lubricant to the rail.

3. A lubricator, comprising a lubricant reservoir, a pivoted lubricant applicator having a discharge portion in proximity to a rail and having an intake portion in communication with the lubricant reservoir, an on-center spring for yieldingly holding the applicator in its normalposition .with respect to the rail, and means adapted to be operated to cause rotation of the applicator against the action of the spring to deliver lubricant to the rail.

4. A lubricator, comprising a lubricant applicator pivoted for bodily rotation about the axis of its pivot, the applicator having a lubricant discharge arm and a lubricant intake arm, such arms being of diierent lengthsl and bearing a xed relation to each other, and means adapted to be operated to cause rotation of the applicator. i555 iis eccentrically adjustable pivot within the sleeve.

8. A lubricator, comprising a lubricant applicator having a sleeve and a lubricant discharge portion adjacentI a rail to be lubricated, a pivot within the sleeve, the pivot having eccentric trunnions, and bearings for the trunnions.

9. A lubrcator, comprising a lubricant applicator having a sleeve, an eccentrically adjustable LAWRENCE A. MERK. 

